Chapter 70 - Home At Last....

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Queen Ariadne's POV.

I went to the village and got enough food with the money I had. Things were not expensive the way I thought. The men sold at a cheap rated. It surprised them, that a queen came to the market to get food stuff , instead of ordering them. If only they understood what was going on in the palace!

"Please , start the carriage immediately" I told the guard I came with. It was not safe for me to come out like this but there was nothing I could do. Anne was nowhere to be seen in the village.

I asked the market women but they never saw her there. If she was not in here then we're was my Anne? I was scared for her. The murderer was still out there, we do not know what he was going to next.

We got to back to the palace when the sun was almost down. I had to plead with the women in the village to help me cook the food. They were confused as to why a queen would want her food to be prepared in the public.

"The food is for a orphanage. The maids are very busy that's why I asked of you" I lied to them. Although we were facing challenges at home, I did not want outsiders to know about it.

The doors of the harem opened when the carriage skipped to a halt. Queen Alissa cane out. I wonder how she knew that I was back.

"Welcome queen Ariadne," she said. Her face looked swollen and her eyes sober. Has she been crying all day?

"What happened to you" Queen Alissa I asked her.

"It's Arya..." She  broke down with tears. Did something happened when I was not around? The harem seemed quiet, just the way I left it

"A...rya" my voice echoed when I shouted her name. I dropped the basket down and headed for my room.

Few queens were in my room when I got there. The physician sat on the bed. She was checking her temperature. It's  took her some minutes before she stopped.

"Queen.. you are back" the old woman was surprised to me.  I stood at the door speechless as my eyes narrowed down to where she laid. The fear of losing Arya frightened me. If any thing would have happen to her, I would have not forgiven my self.

"Arya" I called her name, when the physician gave a way for me to see her. I went to the bed and sat beside her.

"She has a fever" the physician said. "The princess's health is not good at all. She has a stomach ulcer too, feed her properly please."

I nodded. This was all the Emperor's fault. I was not going to blame queen Valeria any more. He left this morning without telling me and now, no one was here to stop his evil Empress from inflicting pain on my poor daughter.

"What about her medicine? Will she get better?"  I asked her.

"Yes but only if you feed her properly. Make sure she has a good rest. "

I took the herbs from her and gave to Arya, who resisted at first but when I tasted it in front of her. She took it from me and emptied it into her mouth.

"Brave girl" I said, caressing her fat cheeks. "How are you feeling, my angel?"

There was a dull response from her. But Arya gave me a smile that did not last. That's means she was not fine. What a brave girl!

"Thank you for coming, physician" Queen Alissa thanked the healer.

"Please do not thank me. Am only serving the throne. She will be better though the pain might return later. Keep giving her the medicine until the pain goes away completely."

The pain goes away  completely? How was I supposed to know when it's will disappear. Arya was not part of me, she was just my daughter.

"We will do as you say. Thank you once again" Queen Alissa walked her to the door.  I brought out the food and started feeding Arya. She ate little, which was unlike her. My only hope was for the Emperor to come back soon.

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The next morning I woke late due to my sleepless night. Arya was feeling better, she could even talk today though her fever was still there but we hope by evening its would disappeared immediately.

As for Queen Valeria, she never came to see her. She was the reason why Arya was In this condition, despite being Evelyn's friend when she was alive, Queen Valeria did not care for her daughter now that death took her away. Something was odd.

The way Queen Valeria punished us yesterday made think she had something to do with Evelyn's death. The woman was hiding a secret from us it's was obvious. When the Emperor finally comes back , I will tell him what Arya told me and the information I got from Evelyn's neighbor.

The kitchen was now opened so they told me. I thought she was going to lock it till the day we were going to die. Such a heartless woman like her, did not deserve any good.

"Did you see Anne? When last did you saw Anne? You sent my maid on an errand?" These were question ,I kept asking every one in the palace but the replies they gave me were all negative, no one saw her leave the palace.

On my way back to the harem , the guards there stopped me. I knew that he had a vital information for me.

"Speak" I gave him the permission. He seemed so afraid to tell. I wondered what happened all of a sudden.

"We took a maid to the dungeon yesterday. This was based on the instructions of the eldest Queen."

Eldest Queen my foot! This time she had crossed the limit and the little respect I had left for her were all gone. I was about to go inside when I had the men at the gate announcing the Emperor's presence. What a time to return back home!

I waited back to see if it was true. The iron gates opened and horses matched in to the palace. The anger I felt before disappeared and all I wanted was to see the Emperor's face. The carriage stopped in front of the harem. Its was mother's.

I called the maids out to help her with the loads , they came back with. I greeted her , and the Emperor stood there watching. Was he waiting for my greetings or his Empress'?

Just the way I predicted, queen Valeria came out of the quarters, she ran to where the Emperor was and hugged him. This was to irritate me, yes it did.

"Where is Arya?" Mother asked me. I wondered if she should the first person to know what happened here when they were not around.

"Mother Arya is fi…"

"Sick. Very sick mother" Queen Vida interrupted me. What was she saying? Mother just arrived at the palace, she was exhausted from the long journey. There was no reason to bother her with madness that queen Valeria displayed.

"What happened to her?" Mother asked her.

Queen Vida narrated everything in details, to mother who was furious. I wanted to be the one to inform the Emperor of what happened. So I assured mother that I would tell the him when he must have rested.

"Why are you making us wait?" Queen Vida asked me when mother left.

"For Queen Valeria to be punished, I have to follow the right protocols. This time , I do not want mistakes to be made" I told her. Queen Valeria was a very clever woman, if I do not plan well then everything will back fire on me.

"The punishment she gave to us proved to me that she is a wicked lady" she said.

"The women in the harem are afraid of going to the Emperor to report. I will clear queen Valeria's doubt today. She thinks every one is afraid of her" I said, making my way towards the Emperor's living area.

I was informed that he went to his throne room. When I got there , people were more than expected. Prince Edwards came when he sighted me. One could easily mistake him to the Emperor, who was sitting on his throne listening to different stories – may be complaints , and finances , war victories.

"Greetings mother, you look tired and Sick" Prince Edwards said. He noticed that I was stressed out already. I wondered if the Emperor could see that too..

"You are right, son" I gave a crack smile. "That's why I came to see the Emperor" But the smile did not last when I saw Queen Valeria closed to the Emperor. She kept one hand on the throne trying to get his attention by all means.

"Did she not see that he is busy with the affairs of the Empire?" I blurted, regretting as soon as the words came out.

"I see. She is the problem here" he said, looking towards her direction.. "I told father that it was not going to be easy for him to control these wives of his."